The Central Arkansas Bears didn’t sneak up on anyone this football season.

Just 30 minutes into the opener, the Bears led Ole Miss 20-14. Three weeks later, they beat the FCS’ 2011 runner-up Sam Houston State.

UCA finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak and ranked eighth in top 25 polls conducted by both The Sports Network (media) and FCS Coaches.

The Bears, picked third by league coaches, were co-champions of the Southland Conference. UCA won the league’s automatic bid to the playoffs by virtue of its win over Sam Houston.

Now the Bears (9-2) are looking to make more noise. They take on fifth-seeded Georgia Southern on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Paulson Stadium.

“When we left Division II, we were playing at the national level and we were highly competitive there,” UCA coach Clint Conque said. “It was always our goal, once we got through with the transition and postseason eligibility (to FCS), to get back to that level again.”

After advancing to the Division II quarterfinals in 2005, Conque and the Bears wasted little time tackling their next challenge. In 2006, they transitioned into Division I and posted an 8-3 record, ending the regular season with a 34-31 overtime win over Georgia Southern in Paulson Stadium.

They’ve been 54-27 during their seven years in the FCS.

Last season, Central Arkansas made the FCS playoffs and defeated Tennessee Tech in the first round before losing at Montana in the Sweet Sixteen.

Abundance of talent

But Conque said there were questions coming into the 2012 season — most notably, who would replace highly regarded quarterback Nathan Dick?

Senior Wynrick Smothers stepped up and the Bears have been feared since.

Smothers threw for 2,852 yards and 31 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. He also gave the offense another dimension, running for 370 yards and three scores.

“You could see his growth and development throughout camp and certainly throughout the season,” Conque said. “I thought he played his biggest games in the biggest moments. Certainly, we’re going to go as he goes.”

“(Smothers) is a tremendous leader and knows what he’s doing with the football,” Curtis said.

Smothers displayed his poise by engineering two late fourth-quarter rallies. With UCA trailing by 10 with 3:18 to go, Smothers ran for a touchdown and threw for another to lead a 24-20 victory over Sam Houston.

On the road against McNeese State, the Bears posted another remarkable comeback — overcoming a nine-point deficit with 1:10 left by scoring a touchdown, recovering a fumbled kickoff and booting a field goal for a 27-26 victory.

Running back Jackie Hinton ran for 566 yards and caught 31 passes for another 271 yards.

Junior linebacker Justin Heard led the team with 87 tackles and had 14 tackles for losses.

Corey Howard earned the Southland’s offensive lineman of the year honor after moving from guard to center.

Defensive end Jonathan Woodard captured the league’s freshman of the year honor after recording 10 ½ tackles for losses, seven sacks and three fumble recoveries.

Conque was the conference’s coach of the year.

Central Arkansas lost the opener to Ole Miss 49-27, but the Bears opened some eyes — and not just because they play on purple and gray striped turf.

“They’re a very well-coached football team and everyone will recognize that Saturday,” Georgia Southern coach Jeff Monken said. “They’re talented and well-coached and they know how to win. They might be the best team in the tournament.”